Military personnel are issued and wear many different types of clothing items depending upon the actions they are performing, the climate they are working in, and based on various other factors. Such clothing items can include, for instance, pants, shirts, coats, hats, jackets, and the like. The clothing items are intended not only to keep the wearer warm and sheltered from the elements but to also provide protection, especially in combat areas.
Recently, greater attention has been focused on developing garments for military personnel that have fire resistant properties. The fire resistant properties are intended to protect the wearer when exposed to flash fires. The push to increase the fire resistant properties of clothing worn by military personnel is primarily in response to the various different types of incendiary devices that military personnel may be exposed to in the field.
In the past, in order to produce fabrics having fire resistant properties, the fabrics were typically made from inherently flame resistant fibers. Such fibers, for instance, may comprise aramid fibers such as meta-aramid fibers or para-aramid fibers. Such fibers, for instance, are typically sold under the trade names NOMEX® or KEVLAR® or TWARON®. The use of inherently flame resistant fibers to produce garments, such as those worn by military personnel, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,770, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,545, U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,024, U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,883, U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,488 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,154 which are all incorporated herein by reference.
Although the use of inherently flame resistant fibers can produce garments having excellent flame resistant properties, the above fibers do have some disadvantages and drawbacks. For example, the fibers are relatively expensive. The fabrics also do not have favorable moisture management properties for many applications. Fabrics made from inherently flame resistant fibers are also difficult to dye and/or print, thus making it difficult to apply a camouflage pattern to the fabrics.
In view of the above, those skilled in the art have attempted to produce flame resistant fabrics containing inherently flame resistant fibers as described above combined with cellulose fibers, namely cellulose fibers that have been pretreated with a fire resistant composition. Such fibers include, for instance, FR rayon fibers, FR acetate fibers, and FR lyocell fibers. The cellulose fibers have been added to the fabrics in order to make the garments more comfortable by improving the moisture management properties and improving the hand of the fabric. Cellulose fibers can also be readily dyed and readily accept printed patterns.
Although cellulose fibers do increase the comfort of the fabrics, various problems have been experienced in blending the two fibers together. For example, problems have been experienced in maintaining the fire resistant properties of the fabric and in dying or applying camouflage patterns to the fabric due to the presence of the aramid fibers. In addition, the fabrics are simply not exhibiting sufficient durability in many applications, especially when the fabrics have to be worn by military personnel.
In view of the above, a need currently exists for improved fire resistant fabrics made from a blend of fibers.